Saturday 25 July 2009 19.34 EDT
First published on Saturday 25 July 2009 19.34 EDT

Carlo Ancelotti has called for Chelsea's supporters to place their trust in him as uncertainty continues to surround John Terry's future at the club after the captain waived his latest opportunity to speak publicly about Manchester City's pursuit of his services.

Terry captained Chelsea to a narrow and competitive 2-1 success over Ancelotti's former club Milan at the M&T Bank stadium here in the small hours of Saturday morning but chose not to comment as he departed the arena. There had been hopes that the 28-year-old would end his silence, maintained since City had a £30m bid rejected earlier this month, by reaffirming his commitment before the team moved on to Dallas for the final leg of a gruelling pre-season tour.

But, while Chelsea still believe they have an agreement in principle for him to remain at Stamford Bridge and will not countenance any sale to City, any public reaction from the player may have to wait until talks have been resolved on an improved contract at the club. Those discussions are only likely to take place upon the team's return to London this week, leaving the issue as yet unresolved.

Ancelotti, for his part, seems unperturbed. Asked if Terry would still be a Chelsea player when the Londoners confront Manchester United in the Community Shield next month, the Italian said: "For sure. Terry will stay in Chelsea. We have never had a problem."

That prompted a follow-up question as to why, if there is no problem, it is taking so long for the England captain to confirm his intention to stay. "We have to wait," added the manager. "Is it a problem for you to wait? You have to have trust in me."

Earlier in the week, the manager had admitted he had not spoken specifically with his captain over his future intentions, though he remained confident that he would build his team around the English core personified by Terry.

"We haven't spoken about [whether he is staying], but I feel it in my heart that he is," he said. "Terry is a symbol for what he does on the pitch and what he does when we're all together. He is a leader. He leads by example. It's always better to not only have one leader but others who have the same objectives and professionalism. But it's great to have such a captain as Terry."

The issue has proved an irritating distraction for Chelsea in what has, otherwise, been a hugely encouraging tour. Crowds of 81,224 and 71,203 have watched their victories over Internazionale in Pasadena and now Milan in Baltimore, with the team having smoothly integrated players such as Daniel Sturridge and Yuri Zhirkov into their number while the manager finds his feet.

Zhirkov, who had been granted a work permit some 24 hours previously, was particularly impressive against the Rossoneri, capping an emotional evening for Ancelotti by plundering the winning goal from distance after Didier Drogba's stunning 30-yard opener. Milan had equalised through Clarence Seedorf's first-time effort before Zhirkov's decisive strike. The Chelsea squad have now moved on to Texas, where they face Club America on Monday, before returning to England seeking resolution on Terry's future.